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English as a Second Language (ESL)

The ESL program in Queensland state schools provides English language support to students from language backgrounds other than English. The program aims to develop these students' English to enable them to participate fully in mainstream classrooms and to enhance their learning outcomes.

Who are English as a second language (ESL) learners?

ESL learners are students with second language learning needs. They come from a variety of backgrounds, including Indigenous, immigrant and refugee backgrounds. They are often faced with issues of settlement, language or poverty in addition to the challenges they face as learners of Standard Australian English.

English as a second dialect (ESD)

Many Indigenous students in Queensland state schools have English as a Second Language (ESL) or English as a Second Dialect (ESD) learning needs. For many of these students, Aboriginal English, Torres Strait Creole or an Indigenous language is their first language. Many speak more than one of these languages or dialects before starting school.

Learners' needs

ESL and ESD students need to develop a high degree of competence in Standard Australian English to succeed in school. The definition and clarification of Indigenous and immigrant students' ESL and ESD needs is the subject of ongoing work within Education Queensland.

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